By Mr. Will Wong
This is the cinematic event we’ve been waiting for! Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. co-direct the musical adaptation of the iconic 2004 film, penned by Tina Fey. The musical numbers are dazzling, the burns are scalding and this new generation is even more clever than ever. At the center of it all is Cady Heron (Angourie Rice), trying to navigate life in America as a teenager, which turns out to be a lot wilder and animalistic than her time spent in Kenya, being homeschooled by her mom!
We had the great pleasure of chatting with the star of MEAN GIRLS, Angourie Rice. The Australian Actor has built a fantastic resume of work including Mare of Easttown, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Toronto-filmed Every Day. She tells us all about her journey joining the Film, to standing beside Lindsay Lohan at the New York City Premiere of the Film earlier this week.
Rice tells us about the process of being cast in MEAN GIRLS.
Rice: Yeah, so it began with an email from Tina Fey which was so exciting and amazing. So she sent me the Script and note alongside it introducing herself, which she didn’t need to do that. And also talking about the Film and why they were making it, what the vision for it was. And she thought I’d be a good fit for Cady and I was just so flattered she thought that. I read the Script and thought it was so funny. I’ve always loved her humour and her writing is so clever. I immediately knew it was going to be something special.
We ask Rice what the legacy of MEAN GIRLS means to her.
Rice: It means so much, it also spans across generations like beyond the 20 years it’s been around. People either side of those 20 years are still watching it and loving it. It doesn’t really matter what age you are, it’s just so iconic and timeless. But for me in particular, all throughout high school, any sleepover it was just like ‘Let’s watch MEAN GIRLS! It’s so fun! It’s our favourite movie!’.
Also the lines – there’s so much in the vocabulary that when I was on set, I would say a line from the Movie and not even be thinking about it and I’d just say it and go ‘Oh my God, that’s so embarrassing!’. I didn’t even mean to say that on purpose, I actually say that all the time.
The role of Cady Heron in this Film is quite demanding, including vocally. Rice walks us through her process getting ready for the challenge.
Rice: There is a lot of singing and I love singing so much and I’ve grown-up singing. But this type of singing is different. I was really focusing on vocal agility and sustainability, making sure that when I was in the studio for four hours, I wouldn’t lose my voice at the end. So I did a lot of singing lessons and training in order to be able to maintain that. I mean, not to the extent that Jaquel did. He was on Broadway for a year, singing every single night for two and a half hours. I did my best, it was intimidating but I led with vulnerability, led with the fact that ‘Hey! I’m new! Please tell me everything, please give me feedback. I’m not precious about it, I genuinely want to learn.’.
The New York City Premiere of MEAN GIRLS with a surprise appearance by Lindsay Lohan! pic.twitter.com/0euQv5yf9a
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) January 9, 2024
You’ve probably seen the pictures above from the New York City Premiere earlier this week with the original Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) making a surprise appearance at the event. We ask Rice what that was like.
Rice: It was mindblowing. I felt like crying, I was so emotional. To be connected with someone in a way you’ve both played the same character, I also had the opportunity to meet Erika Hennigsen, who originated Cady on Broadway. To meet her, ‘I can’t believe I’m in the same room as you’. We both have this shared experience, even though we’ve never met before. It’s such a beautiful thing.
See our Chat below:
Paramount Pictures Canada release MEAN GIRLS in theatres January 12, 2024.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
Gaten Matarazzo and Angourie Rice star in Feature Film HONOR SOCIETY! Coming soon to Paramount+!
Synopsis:
Honor is an ambitious high school senior whose sole focus is getting into an Ivy League college … assuming she can first score the coveted recommendation from her guidance counsellor, Mr. Calvin. Willing to do whatever it takes, Honor concocts a Machiavellian plan to take down her top three student competitors, until things take a turn when she unexpectedly falls for her biggest competition, Michael. In addition to Angourie Rice and Gaten Matarazzo, the cast also includes Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Armani Jackson and Amy Keum.
HONOR SOCIETY premieres July 29, 2022 exclusively on Paramount+.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount+)
Angourie Rice is definitely a name to keep a tab-on after leaving a big impression in MARE OF EASTTOWN and if you ever saw the sweet EVERY DAY, you’re probably already a fan. Rice stars next in Apple TV+’s THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, alongside Jennifer Garner. The Series, based on Laura Dave‘s Novel, is produced by Reese Witherspoon‘s Hello Sunshine.
BLACK MIRROR‘s fifth season is about to stream and the Anthology series is more star-studded than ever. Featured this season are Anthony Mackie, Miley Cyrus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topher Grace, Damson Idris, Andrew Scott, Nicole Beharie, Pom Klementieff, Angourie Rice, Madison Davenport and Ludi Lin.
Synopsis:
Black Mirror is an anthology series that taps into our collective unease with the modern world, with each stand-alone episode a sharp, suspenseful tale exploring themes of contemporary techno-paranoia leading to an unforgettable – and sometimes unsettling – conclusion. Without questioning it, technology has transformed all aspects of our lives; in every home; on every desk; in every palm – a plasma screen; a monitor; a Smartphone – a Black Mirror reflecting our 21st Century existence back at us. The series is created and written by Charlie Brooker, and executive produced by Brooker and Annabel Jones.
See the Trailer:
BLACK MIRROR streams on Netflix Wednesday, June 5, 2019.
netflix.com/blackmirror for more.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
We’re hearing amazing things about Toronto-made EVERY DAY which is about to hit theatres soon. Directed by Michael Sucsy (The Vow) and based on the Novel by David Levithan, the Film stars Angourie Rice, Maria Bello, Debby Ryan and Justice Smith.
Synopsis:
Every Day tells the story of Rhiannon (Angourie Rice), a 16-year old girl who falls in love with a mysterious soul named “A” who inhabits a different body every day. Feeling an unmatched connection, Rhiannon and A work each day to find each other, not knowing what or who the next day will bring. The more the two fall in love, the more the realities of loving someone who is a different person every 24 hours takes a toll, leaving Rhiannon and “A” to face the hardest decision either has ever had to make.
See a brand-new Featurette:
Elevation Pictures release EVERY DAY Friday, February 23, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to take Readers to see Toronto-made EVERY DAY! The Film screens Wednesday, February 21, 2018 in the following cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax and Ottawa.
Synopsis:
Based on David Levithan’s acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Every Day tells the story of Rhiannon, a 16 year old girl who falls in love with a mysterious soul named “A” who inhabits a different body every day. Feeling an unmatched connection, Rhiannon and A work each day to find each other, not knowing what or who the next day will bring. The more the two fall in love, the more the realities of loving someone who is a different person every 24 hours takes a toll, leaving Rhiannon and A to face the hardest decision either has ever had to make.
Trailer:
Artwork:
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Elevation Pictures release EVERY DAY Friday, February 23, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
Based on the Novel of the same name by David Levithan, Every Day currently is filming here in Toronto. Directed by Michael Sucsy, the Film centers on a 16-year-old girl named Rhiannon (Angourie Rice) who falls in love with a spirit who travels body to body, living a different life every day.
Sucsy is no stranger to filming in the City, his romantic drama The Vow made here back in 2010.
Every Day stars also Justice Smith (Paper Planes), Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Debby Ryan (The Suite Life on Deck) and Maria Bello (A History of Violence).
We spotted the Film’s Australian-born star Rice, whose profile continues to rise with roles in acclaimed films over the past year like Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled and Shane Black‘s The Nice Guys. Like her Co-Star Batalon, she can be seen currently in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Every Day wraps early August and will be handled by Metro Goldwyn Mayer (Sony Pictures) in the U.S.
See our Snap:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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